On the occasion of the endless discussion about the Strait of Hormuz, it occurred to me that for some weird and unexplained reason, Greeks appear to feel very comfortable being in The Straits, whether in water or at land.

OK, in Greek we use it in plural form Τα Στενά and not always in the sense of their original form, that is being a naturally formed, narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water and separating two landmasses.

We, Greeks, who love our past, loath our present and hate our future, we associate The Straits with heroic historical battles against the Persian and the Ottoman enemies or we incorporate them in popular songs, where Tα Στενά can be corridors in prison or parts of our lost homelands.

Battle in Thermopylae Straits

One of the most significant battles of the Ancient Greeks is the Battle of Thermopylae a narrow pass in modern central Greece. It was 480 BC, and there we stood, the Spartans, the Thebans and the Thespians and some 1000 of slaves stood against the invading Persian forces under  Xerxes I. The battle run well but a traitor among us, Ephialtes, run to the Persians and told them all our strategic plans and where we were hiding: in a mountain path, Τα Στενά of Thermopylae. We fought fiercely to defend our soil but we suffered a monumental defeat and lost a brave man, King Leonidas of the city-state of Sparta, his 300 Spartans and the rest of 7,000 brave Greek soldiers.

The Battle in Dervenakia Straits

Many centuries later, we, Greeks, took our blood back – πήραμε το αιμα μας πίσω as we say here, in the Battle of Dervenakia in 1822 against the Ottoman occupiers of our sweet and dear country.

The Battle also known as the Dramalis Massacre, was one of the most important battles fought during the Greek Revolution of 1821, with a victorious outcome for the Greeks and a great destruction of the Ottoman forces under the commander-in-chief Mahmud Pasha Dramalis.

This battle was fought on 26 July 1822, at two of the four small mountain passes (dervenakia ), between Corinth and the Argos valley, hence its name. Another result of this battle was the strengthening of the reputation of Theodoros Kolokotronis, which frightened his political opponents at the time.

Not to forget to mention that also Homer had this thing about the Straits, placing the two mythological sea monsters of Odyssey, Scylla and Charybdis, in the narrow Strait of Messina between Sicily and Italy.

Greek heroes are everywhere since the birth of the world but wherever one looks around it seems that they love to find themselves in Straits and find for their sacred homeland.

I don’t know, we, Greeks, may get more strength and determination when we are squeezed inside the Straits, one entrance and one exit, a one-way street surrounded by hills and mountains and there is no other way out than fight to move forward.

It must be the ultimate challenge for the Greeks, somehow…

Who knows? I don’t.

Τα Στενά in Greek popular music

There are two very famous songs: “In Trikala in two straits they brought down Sakaflias” by Vassilis Tsitsanis and “Inside the Βosporous Straits” by Giorgos Dalaras.

None of them is a love song because you know… the Straits are also dangerous for one’s health and ultimately one’s life.

Sakaflias

Sakaflias was the nickname of a notorious criminal, a handsome man who was also a pimp and involved also in petty thefts in the lumpen scene of Athens the beginning of the 20th century. Once he got busted and was sent to the Prison in Trikala. During a dispute with the leader of gang in prison, Sakaflias was killed and died at the age of 30.

At the time of the murder, Vassilis Tsitsanis was a young teenager who got impressed by the victim. Reason? Unknown. However, some 12 years later, around 1939, he had the inspiration to turn the criminal into a hero and a great Rebetiko song.

Στα Τρίκαλα στα δυο στενά σκοτώσανε τον Σακαφλιά, where Straits describe the narrow corridors in prison court.

“In Trikala, in the two straits, they killed Sakaflia. Such a proud child. We all cry for him together. We will not forget him, children. Our friend Sakaflias”

Μεσ’ του Βοσπορου τα Στενά sang by Giorgos Dalaras in 1972, when there were efforts that Greeks and Turks come closer, 50 years after the war known the Asia Minor Disaster.

It’s a song of brotherhood and peace and reconciliation and restoration of broken friendships and relations between simple folks, a Greek and a Turk.

In the Bosporus Straits
Giannis cries at dusk
and Mehmet beside him
drinks and sings

I am a Turk and you are a Greek
and I am a people and you are a people
you are Christ and I am Allah
but both of us sigh

With a little love and wine
I get drunk and you get drunk
drink a little from my cup
my brother and my kardasi [brother in Turkish]
drink a little from my cup